Why do old people drive so bloody slowly?

[harman]

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It's so dangerous aswell. See them going 30 down a motorway, or 20 in a 50. Grrr, they piss me off.

or when they slow down to 3 mph to do a left turn.

drives me potty, its like there is no one else in the whole world on the roads except for them.

I NEVER EVER speed but drive at 30 in a 30 and have never had an acident in the 20plus years ive been driving.

i don't know, but they drive me fucking spare with that, especially around here, a rural area with mostly single carriageways and bendy roads.

Half of them shouldn't be on the roads anyway.

I find they drive at 40 on fab country roads then still drive at 40 through villages ignoring the 30 mph road signs. They also indicate to turn corners.

Having said that - living in a rural area myself i would hate to be responsible for anyone losing what little independence they may have.

DP's grandmother who has a friend who in no way at all should be on the road.

His hands shake constantly, he is practically deaf in both ears and has such slow reaction times to anything at all. I really can't understand how he can still be okay to drive around.

Where I live it can be a nightmare. Just up from our new estate there is a large area where the residents are primarily elderly. And they drive so so slowly, almost dangeriusly so. the main road is a 40mph zone and they drive at 20mph - sometimes slower. Argh!

Joss, absolutely agree with what you've said about tehm driving at 40 regardless of whether it's open road or built-up area. Although, I actually don't think there's an age limit on people that do that.
Think there should be regular re-testing of everyone and probably more often for older people. Don't think being able to drive is a god-given right and have seen too many accidents (ex cop)caused by old people who shouldn't have been driving to worry about taking away independence. Sad though that might be, seeing the outcome of an accident is sadder still.

God I hate slow drivers. They frustrate people and that makes accidents happen.

I nearly took down a numberplate of an old codger in a red peugeot the other day. I wanted to report him to the DVLA.
Somewhere in the country thay have an organisation don't they, where you can report bad drivers and they will go and film them and then post it on the website for everyone to see.
I WANT THAT.
I think everyone over a certain age, infact everyone, should sporadically re-take their driving test.

Well done her, fio.
My fil is still driving (he's 80) and although he seems capable enough, he hates it. He only does it because mil makes him, so that he can drive her to the hairdressers (about 500m away [hmmm] - that's metres not miles) or take her into town to the shops.
The sad thing is they live practically next to a bus stop, on a major bus route and get free bus travel. Also they have absolutely no other demands on their time, so don't need to be anywhere in a hurry.

And they all seem to have big cars. Why can't they have a Mini, much easier for them to control

Another forum I'm on, someone was saying her dad was moaning that he didn't get a blue badge on account of his cataracts. And yes, this is for him driving, not for someone else to drive him. Erk.

We got stuck behind an elderly couple yesterday, we could see him gesturing for her to slow down on the bends ... DH was on the verge of changing into reverse, never mind down a gear.

And I'm still annoyed about the woman who smiled at me sweetly as she crawled up to the junction where I was waiting to cross with DD - smiled sweetly, but made no attempt to stop for us. Grr. Not elderly, just annoying.

The constant 40mph thing - I live just off a stretch of the A46 which varies along its length, some of it is a 40 limit, but most is either 30 or 50. I reckon about 10% of drivers pay any attention to the actual limits, everyone else does the whole thing at 40. Drives me batty, and causes me to set a poor example to DD in terms of language and attitude.

they all have massive cars, saltire.

there was this fecking Xarra Picasso weaving all over the road going 40mph on a 60mph road on the way to nursery this afternoon.

no, the driver wasn't drunk.

just some auld wifey who could barely see over the steering wheel.

they seriously do my nut round here.

Why do young people drive so blood fast

My DH, when he was a hunky copper, came across a very elderly couple doing a three point turn on a dual carriageway because they had taken a wrong turn on the roundabout. It was the wife, not the husband (the driver) who was able to explain this. The old man, bless him, wasn't quite able to get the words out. Sigh.

However, driving slowly (in the elderly or anyone for that matter) doesn't bother me that much as long as it isn't ridiculous.

Expat - my mums neighbours have a big 4x4 thing , he is 76 and she is 74. They both walk with sticks and she has had an operation on her eyes. My mum asked them why they ahd such a big car, and he said "well if we have an accident we will be safer"
Mum said yes, but no one else will be!. they drive around at about 20 miles an hour.
My step dad is 63 this year and has just traded his bigger car in for something smaller, a golf or similar

My Uncle Bob, who drove a bubble car, used to drive 'carefully' because Aunty Betty was in the front seat.
I might add that she had long since shuffled off the mortal coil and now lived in an urn but apparently "liked to go out for a run".
It took us three and a half bloody hours to get to Inverness one day (normally a 30 minute drive)....

My mother says she doesn't drive fast - because she can't see where she's going very well.
Her optician says it's in her mind, with her glasses she should have no problems.

I think it's because they're worried about the g-force and are trying to save their hair

My dear grandmother is the best - her car has never been out of 3rd gear and when I challenged her that maybe she should give up driving not (she's 92) she said "oh it's quite alright dear, I never go over 20mph......"

She has now sold her car thankfully although still threatens to buy another one periodically

A bit like the reverse of the younger types who drive waaaaaaay too fast Perhaps it all makes for a good average speed

LOL at jeremyspants and wisteria

I think we have to be careful about making sweeping statements about 'old people' though - we only notice that they're old when they're driving badly. My dad is nearly 70 and is a fantastic driver - much better that I am...

But do agree that the '38mph or die' attitude on variable speed limit roads is incrediuble annoying.

why od women go aroudn coners so slwoly